Prison
Cat YOI and Category C
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Aylesbury
IMB Annual Report 2022 · Published 19 May 2023
HMP/YOI Aylesbury faced a challenging year due to Covid-19 restrictions and severe staff shortages, which impacted the regime, purposeful activity, and staff-prisoner relationships. Despite these difficulties, the prison completed significant refurbishment projects and effectively contained Covid infections. Key concerns included persistent gang culture, high use of force, inadequate education and resettlement support, and issues with staffing levels and property management.
Positive Findings
The prison completed a significant refurbishment programme for four blocks, leading to improved facilities and a positive move out of special measures. It successfully contained Covid-19 infections despite a low vaccination rate among prisoners. Staff demonstrated great efforts in treating prisoners humanely, with one officer receiving a national award. The IMB maintained weekly visits, and segregation unit staff were commended for their professionalism and good relationships with prisoners.
Key Concerns
Staffing
Significant staff shortages negatively impacting the regime and purposeful activity.
Safety
Repeated
Persistent issues with gang culture and violence, contributing to the prison's reputation.
Education/Purposeful Activity
Suboptimal education provision throughout the year and inadequate resettlement support for released prisoners.
Safety
High use of PAVA and the ineffectiveness of the CSIP programme in managing violent tendencies.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Outdated property management system leading to frequent complaints, and issues with family parcels.
Equality/Diversity
Repeated
Insufficient support for foreign national and less literate prisoners, including underutilisation of translation services, leading to bewilderment during induction and difficulty accessing support.
Estate/Conditions
The plumbing and drainage systems in refurbished wings were not upgraded, a decision that could lead to future disruption and cost.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Inconsistent application of the Incentives Policy (IP) principles across the prison.
Food/Catering
Dietary issues, particularly for Muslim prisoners during Ramadan, caused by kitchen mistakes.
Board Commentary
Staffing
Staffing levels were unstable throughout the year, with significant shortages of officers and operational support grade staff (OSGs) negatively impacting the regime. No extra staff were employed despite increasing prisoner numbers. Recruitment and retention proved difficult, marked by high turnover and many staff having less than three years' experience. The key worker scheme was eventually abandoned due to these shortages.
Healthcare
Covid-19 restrictions significantly impacted health and wellbeing, although the prison successfully contained infections through vigilant protocols. Healthcare provision was maintained within these constraints, with face-to-face GP and dental appointments available when possible, and regular access to medicines. Despite three vaccination campaigns, only 30-35% of prisoners were vaccinated. The health team created innovative materials to improve sleep hygiene instead of increasing sleeping drug distribution.
Regime & Daily Life
The regime was severely impacted by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and acute staff shortages, often resulting in prisoners being locked in their cells for 22-23 hours daily. This restricted movement, interaction, and out-of-cell activities, leading to less education and fewer work opportunities. While effective in controlling Covid, the diminished regime negatively affected prisoners' wellbeing and led to complaints about the lack of purposeful activity.
Applications to the IMB
Prisoners can apply to their IMB about any aspect of their treatment. This table shows application counts by category.
| Category | Current | Previous | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (including transfers) | 41 | 24 | |
| Discrimination | 0 | 0 | |
| Education | 10 | 2 | |
| Food | 3 | 0 | |
| Medical/Healthcare | 35 | 31 | |
| Other | 42 | 26 | |
| Property | 47 | 17 | |
| Segregation | 52 | 47 | |
| Staff/Prisoner relations | 19 | 10 | |
| Work/Activity | 17 | 6 |
Recommendations (11)
Other: 3
HMPPS: 4
Governor / Director: 4
Recommendation 1
Deliver a robust, imaginative and flexible new recruitment strategy across the prison estate, backed by the resources needed to increase and sustain higher staffing levels.
Other
(minister)
Staffing
Recommendation 2
Despite current uncertainties in public finances, fight to secure investment in the reduction of reoffending to meet the ambition of the Prison Strategy White Paper (December 2021). Keep access to quality education, and skills development, at the heart of this investment.
Other
(minister)
Resettlement and Education
Recommendation 3
Reduce the number of seriously mentally ill people being held in prison; ensure a greater number of emergency mental health beds are available for prisoners in extreme need.
Other
(minister)
Mental Health
Recommendation 4
Improve forward planning, consultation and support to senior staff when prisons are required to house new categories of prisoner.
HMPPS
Management/Operational Planning
Recommendation 5
Set tough targets, and appropriate penalties, in third party contracts for education, training and vocational skills delivery. Maintain business-like contract management to optimise delivery.
HMPPS
Education/Contracts
Recommendation 6
Systematically tackle low levels of staffing. Reconsider the value of local recruitment to lower bands in the prison service.
HMPPS
Staffing
Recommendation 7
Re-establish the key worker scheme to ensure prisoners have specific individual officers allocated to them, who will take time to mentor and provide guidance.
HMPPS
Staff-Prisoner Relationships
Recommendation 8
Set out a clear vision for the prison which puts improvement in prisoner outcomes first; build on the strong interdepartmental co-operation existing in the prison to realise this vision.
Governor / Director
Vision/Leadership
Recommendation 9
Embed a greater ethos of celebrating success and sharing positive behaviours and outcomes for prisoners through communications and activities with staff and prisoners alike.
Governor / Director
Culture/Motivation
Recommendation 10
Respond to the changing prisoner population in Aylesbury. Put in place a comprehensive strategy to ensure that the needs of category C prisoners are met appropriately alongside the slightly different needs of the young offenders. Is there a greater role for third sector agencies to help with this?
Governor / Director
Population Management/Needs
Recommendation 11
Improve the quality and quantity of purposeful activities and workshops.
Governor / Director
Purposeful Activity
Other IMB Reports for Aylesbury
HMIP Inspections
Recent inspections by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for this establishment.
2 Feb 2026
Unannounced
PPO Fatal Incidents
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman fatal incident investigations for this establishment.